A clogged gutter can cause serious damage to your house and to your pocketbook. Be sure to read up on how you can keep your gutters functioning properly year-round.
What Do Gutters Do?
Gutters are designed to capture roof water drainage. They feed to downspouts, which are pipes that carry the water away from the house. These can be made from a variety of materials, including aluminum, cast iron, galvanized steel, and PVC.
Why is Gutter Maintenance Important?
When your gutter system is clogged with debris, damage to your home and its foundation is a real possibility. Undiverted water and moisture can mar your fascia, soffit, and roofing. Continued water exposure over time can erode your home’s base. As such, taking steps to prevent this damage is a must if you want to maintain an aesthetic and well-functioning home.
How Often Should I Clean My Gutters?
You can save yourself a lot of hassle and speculation if you follow the golden rule of gutters: if they’re starting to fill up with debris, clean them out. Since the climate of your region and the immediate surroundings of your home can often determine the amount of falling debris around you, sticking with this rule will ensure that you don’t wait too long and risk damaging your house. Developing a gutter-check routine can help you stay on top of this. As a general rule for people in wooded areas, cleaning your gutters once or twice a year should be sufficient.
Tips for Cleaning Your Gutters Yourself
Getting to the gutters: If you live in a ranch-style home, use a four-legged stepladder to reach the base of your roof where you can inspect for debris. Multi-story homes will require an extension ladder. You’ll want to make sure the ladder is in good working condition, resting stably on the ground, and is not leaning on the gutters themselves.
Gear up for the job: Make sure that you wear heavy gloves, protective goggles or glasses, and durable rubber-soled shoes (no sandals please!). You’ll also want a gutter scoop or small trowel to shovel the debris out, and a bucket to collect it for disposal. There are also more efficient gutter cleaning tools on the market, such as the irobot gutter cleaner. This will make it easier to clean your gutters, but these tools can often be expensive.
Grab a friend to supervise: Safety is key here! Get a friend to keep the ladder stable while you work, and keep three physical points of contact on the ladder at all times.
Original Article Here: http://www.kudzu.com/article/Gutter-Cleaning-Gutter-Guard-Tips-id12001395
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